Climate Change Action

Gecko Recycle Scheme for hard to recycle items is coming to fruition. These items are Household Batteries, CDs & DVDs, Printer Cartridges, and Mobile Phones, which currently end up in the council tip. This program is designed to place a Hard to Recycle container in every shopping centre so such items can be safely disposed of and a volunteer will empty the container on a regular basis.

Will 2019 be the year Australia takes on its responsibilities in effective action on climate change?
Our Federal Government continues to fail to put into practice any meaningful policy on tackling climate change, apparently held hostage to the small group of right wing climate change deniers within the LNP

The October IPCC Special Report report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. The jobs of the future are in renewables and sustainability, not coal, so Gecko wonders why our Federal Government that purports to support innovation and industry and creation of jobs is not backing the growth industries

The elections for a new Queensland Government will take place next Saturday 25th November.

Whether you will be pre-poling or will vote on the day, now is the time for you to have a close look at the positions of the various political parties, particularly in relation to their environmental policies.

Gecko has compared the publicly available policies of the major parties on environmental and locally important issues (Local Government reform/ ban developer donations, action on excessive bush clearing-death to wildlife, a Spit Master Plan -3 storey height limit, a second M1 motorway through koala habitat, action on airport contamination, Climate Change action/ renewables) reflected in the scorecard below. Please consider the environment when casting your vote.

This temporary installation in Winders park next to Gecko House was an artistic expression of sea level rise and how our grandchildren will experience rising tides by the end of this century. Held on the banks of the beautiful Currumbin Creek during the SWELL Sculpture Festival, 8th to 17th September 2017.

On Saturday 5th of September, Gecko – Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council and Surfrider Foundation, will be holding a beach clean-up event ‘Spring Clean Broadbeach’ and launch for the Cash for Containers White Paper for public consultation, to be held at Kurrawa Surf Club, Broadbeach at 12:30 – 17:00.

Confused about Climate Change? Wondering whether there is some truth to the denialist arguments? Visit the highly respected website Skeptical Science and explore the myths surrounding the threats our planet faces from the accumulation of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere .

Topical issues are explored by scientists actively working in the field, not armchair bloggers with no scientific credentials. The site examines many popular myths doing the rounds, the aim of which is to preventing meaningful action to address Climate Change. Rational scientific explanations are offered with discussion ranging from easy to understand concepts for the novice to more complex language for those with a higher level of scientific expertise. The site is run by John Cook, winner of the 2011 Eureka Prize from the Australian Museum, in recognition of the Advancement of Scientific Knowledge.

A new collaborative network of health organisations has agreed to joint action to raise awareness of the adverse health effects of Australia’s current minerals and energy policy at a meeting in Canberra this week.

Hosted by five national health organisations, the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA), National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA), Climate Change Health Research Network (NCCARF-ARN), Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA), the Health and Energy Roundtable was attended by energy experts, community activists and health professionals, including doctors, physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and GPs, from dozen of organisations around the country.

“Bikes are better for the planet and your health” says Gecko campaigner Kathleen Green. A fun activity to promote the Lock the Gold Coast group against coal seam gas mining, was held on Sunday March 10th, starting at Burleigh Heads and finishing at Broadbeach.
A group of 22 bike riders took part in the Gecko/Lock the Gold Coast bike ride last Sunday, who were willing to ride rain or shine and luckily the sun did shine all day.

The Lock the Gold Coast group received lots of attention from people out and about on the beachfront also enjoying the sunshine. All riders and bikes were adorned in the Lock the Gold Coast colours of yellow and black with slogans of “no coal seam gas mining”. People were very curious to ask what the ride was about, giving the riders opportunity to explain.